St. Lawrence Directory Rectory Hours- - - Mon-Fri, 8:00am – noon Rectory Phone- - - - - - - - - - 715-421-5777 Email - - - - - - - - - - slparishwr@gmail.com Website - - - - - - - - - - saintlawrencewr.org Facebook - - - - - - - “St. Lawrence Church” DRE email - - - -stlawrenceevangelization@gmail.com Fr. Janusz’s contact information: Emergency cell- - - - - - - 715-456-1450 Email - - - - januszek2002@yahoo.com

Parish Staff Pastor - - - - - - - - - -Rev. Janusz Kowalski Deacon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kevin Ray Senior Deacon - - - - - - - - - - - -Jim Landry Parish Facilities Manager—Tom Pankonen Evangelization/Formation - - - - Dave Ecke Secretary/Bookkeeper - - Wendy Schlaefer

530 Tenth Ave N, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, 54495 715-421-5777

Saint Lawrence Catholic Church January 19, 2020

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sacraments

Baptism: Baptismal classes are required for parents having their infants baptized. Contact Father Janusz at the Parish Office.

Confession: Saturday 5:30 p.m. before Mass (weekday & Sunday) or by appointment.

Marriage: Please notify the Pastor/Parish Office as soon as you are engaged, but not less than nine months prior to the wedding date. A marriage preparation retreat is necessary, call St. Vincent de Paul for upcoming dates (715) 423-2111.

Anointing of the Sick: Those seriously ill or undergoing surgery should call the rectory to request an appointment with Pastor Janusz.

Mass Schedule Mon - Wed—Communion Service 7:00 am Tuesday—6:00 pm Thurs. & Fri.—7:00 am Saturday—6:00 pm Sunday—10:30 am

Sunday’s Scripture Isaiah 49:3, 5-6

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 John 1:29-34

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK Monday, January 20 7:00 AM Com. Service Tuesday, January 21 7:00 AM Com. Service 6:00 PM Wednesday, January 22 7:00 AM Com. Service Thursday, January 23 7:00 AM †Dick Thomas 10:00 AM Arborwood Friday, January 24 7:00AM 12:00 PM Holy Hour Saturday, January 25 6:00 PM Parishioners of St. Lawrence/St. Philip and guests Sunday, January 26 10:30 AM Deacon Jim Landry 6:00 PM Sunday Evening Mass @ OLQH

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SICK CALLS: Call Fr. Patric 608-317-3514

Liturgical Roles – January 25th & 26th

Eucharist 6:00PM – Helen Diver, Patrick Ruesch, Deacon 10:30 AM– Don Erdmann, Ron Lorbeck, Deacon

Hospitality 6:00 PM — Susie & Lenny Budzinski 10:30 AM — Patti Q/Brooklyn S

Lector 6:00PM – Paul Stoltz 10:30AM – Youth Mass

Altar 6:00PM — Brennan Mohrbacher/ Gabe Hauke 10:30AM — Wyatt & Dan Erdmann

Music 6:00PM — Julanne S/Lee T 10:30AM— Mary Pat E/Janet A/ Youth

Snow Crew #4—Osowski/Statz

FAITH FORMATION The next Confirmation Class is Sunday,

February 2 at 8:30am.

Our next Faith Formation classes will be Wednesday, January 22 at 6:00pm for grades 1 through 8. We will explore Mass; Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist

The next Youth Mass will be on January 26.

Please let the office

know if you would

like to schedule

intentions for your

loved ones. There

are many Masses

available in 2020.

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 The LORD said to me: You are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory. Now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those every-where who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Grace to you and peace from God our Fa-ther and the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:29-34 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Stewardship Bulletin Reflection January 19, 2020 — Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s readings provide clear and inspiring reminders of the most fundamental aspect of our identity — that of servants of our most high and holy God, His modern-day disciples and stewards.

John the Baptist recognized the holiness of Jesus and the response due to Him when he encountered Christ in person on the day they met at the Jordan River. His response, which we read in our Gospel passage from St. John was, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world… He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’”

What a powerful description of our Lord and the place He should rightfully have in each of our lives. He is truly our Savior, the only one who can free us from our sinfulness. We are utterly and completely dependent on His power, love and mercy. There-fore He truly does “rank ahead” of us; he deserves to be first, above all other priorities and plans in our lives. Let us examine our daily lives and encourage our children to do the same.

Does the way I spend my time reflect that God comes first? Do prayer and weekly Mass, regular confession and time with my family “rank ahead” of everything else on my calendar? Do I use my talents, skills and energy to serve my family, parish and community in thanksgiving and recognition that God’s kingdom ranks ahead of any other goals or ambitions? Do I spend my money and use my material possessions so as to glorify God?

Challenge questions, to be sure. But questions worthy of our high calling as Christian stewards offered a glorious mission in service of our Lord and His kingdom. What will our response be?

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Pro-Life Corner: Since the decriminalization of abortion by the court decision Roe v Wade, 62.500.000 babies have been destroyed in America. If we took a moment of silence for each baby lost to surgical abortion, using one minute as a ”moment”, we would be silent for 118.9 years. The silence would be a deafening roar.

Job Posting at St. Lawrence! We have an opening for a part-time secretary/bookkeeper positon. Knowledge of computer skills is required. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to St. Lawrence Parish, 530 10th Ave. North, Wisconsin Rapids 54495 or email to slparish@wctc.net with attention to Fr. Janusz Kowalski. For details, please call 715-421-5777. Applications are due by January 24, 2020.

Holy Hour for Life Deacon Jim Landry will preside over a Holy Hour for Life at St. Philip Church on Tuesday January 21 at 6:00pm. This date coincides with the tragic anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Diocesan Annual Appeal Update We have received gifts and pledges of $32,819 towards our goal of $42,155. That’s 78% of our goal! Thank you to the 109 families who gave!

Men’s Renewal Retreat What does it mean to “be a man of the cross”? Find out by joining us for a one-day retreat focusing on practical ways to daily live out the Gospel call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We’ll receive great insights from Deacon Ralph Poyo, who was a favorite speaker from the fall Men of the Cross Conference, to embrace our crosses and learn of ways to become the man, father, hus-band, son that God intended. Details: When: February 15, 9am– 3pm Where: St. John the Baptist Parish, 201 W Blodgett St, Marshfield, WI Cost: $25/person (Includes morning snack and lunch) - $30 at the door. To register, go to: http://menofthecross.org/

Is your marriage drifting apart? - Retrouvaille is designed to give you the tools you need to restore joy and hope to your marriage. Next retreat in our area will be February 14-16, 2020, at St. Anthony Spirituality Center in Marathon. “We Needed to Refresh Our Marriage …It was wonderful.” See more comments from program participants at HelpOurMarriage.org . For more information, call 877-922-HOPE (4673) Fully Confidential; or go to: https://diolc.org/marriage/marriage-help/

Feed My Starving Children MobilePack Feb. 21-22, 2020 – Stevens Point Through a Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) MobilePack™ event at the Stevens Point Airport, Noel Hangar, on February 21-22, 2020, our community will provide 108,000 nutritious meals for God’s starving children around the world. We invite you to join us! We need 545 volunteers to pack meals and help raise $26,000 for this MobilePack™ event. Adults and children 5 years and older will measure and scoop ingredients, seal bags and prepare boxes for shipping. Volunteer registration will open online in January. Event Coordinator is Michelle Shulfer: 715-346-2780, mshulfer@uwsp.edu.

Wisconsin Rapids Deanery "Serenity" Grief Support Group will meet in the St. Vincent de Paul School (Room 105), Wisc. Rapids, on Monday, February 3rd, 1-2pm. If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a loved one, please join us for an evening of listening, sharing, prayer, fellowship, refreshments & free self-help materials.

Ponczka Sale St. Mary-Torun, 5589 Dewey Drive, Stevens Point is now taking orders for their annual Ponczka Sale which will be held on Saturday, February 1. Order now to make sure you can get your tasty Ponczka! $8/dozen unfilled, $8.50/dozen for prune or raspberry jelly-filled. To order, call 715-344-9665 or 715-575-1719, or email ponczka@toruncatholic.org, or online at www.toruncatholic.org/ponczka. Pick-up day is February 1 from 3-6 p.m.

Soup and Pie Sale at St. Peter Parish, 800 Fourth Avenue, Stevens Point on Saturday, Jan 25, 2:00-5:30 and Sunday, Jan 26, 7:00-Noon Featuring homemade soup sold by the quart- $9.00 and delicious pies $8-10 Flavorful, Homemade and Convenient to enjoy at home!

End of Life and Estate Planning Workshop sponsored by Catholic United Financial, January 28th at 5:30pm, Assumption School Library. Leaving a legacy isn’t just for the Well-To-Do, it’s for everyone…and it is easier than you think. RSVP Vickie at 920-475-3196 (call or text) or vgiacalone@catholicunited.org.

Wisconsin Rapids Deanery Movie Night Tuesday, January 28th at 6:45PM in the Assumption Library. Two movies by Steve Ray, “Over Holy Ground”, an aerial view of the Holy Land and “Pilgrimage.” Future movie nights are planned.

A "Difficult Choice" Advocates of abortion often refer to the decision to have an abortion as a "difficult choice." Why is it a difficult choice? The reason is very simple and obvious. We all know that the unborn child is a person growing inside the mother's womb. So, of course, it is "difficult". Choosing to terminate the life of another human being is a "difficult choice". If the unborn child was not a person, what would be so difficult about choosing to end his or her life? Is killing a cancer growing inside your body a "difficult choice." Of course not.

Dehumanizing the child is a vital strategy used by pro-abortionists to disguise the "difficult choice" that is being made. The baby is made to appear like the invading "blob of tissue"----like a cancerous growth. Why do we allow such deceit and victimization of the pre-born? Can you find a more innocent or vulnerable human being than a precious baby boy or girl inside his/her mother's womb? Pro-Life Articles

School News Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated Jan 27—Feb 2. Please join us in our excitement and spread the word about what a great school we have here. If you would like to visit our schools and see what a day in the life of a Catholic school student entails. Please call the ACS Enrollment office at 715-422-0900 to make a reservation.